May 24, 2021

    Last week, I completed my engineering proposal on robotic guide dogs for the visually impaired. The purpose, introduction, and summary sections were simple for me to do. I struggled most with writing under the proposed tasks. This is mainly because I couldn’t find much research to back up my ideas since the topic is still new. I had to get most of my sources from companies and reliable news sources. My proposal was directed to Boston Dynamics which is an engineering and robotics company. I chose this company because it was the first one I saw that had successfully created a robotic dog. Their robotic dog, Spot, is capable of doing many tasks, much more than a guide dog. Therefore, I believe that if they were to create a robotic guide dog, they would succeed in doing so. 

           I proposed three tasks. 1: Acknowledging the flaws of guide dogs. Pointing out the flaws of guide dogs will allow the designers to create a better solution. Guide dogs can be expensive, they can have behavior issues, and they require care. A robotic guide dog would be more affordable, wouldn’t have behavior issues, and the only care it requires is getting charged. 2: Designing a robotic guide dog. For this task, I mention a GPS system for tracking and getting to a location, making the robo dog water-proof and dust-proof, a battery life of around 8 hours, a leash to help the dog guide the owner, etc. 3: Designing an app. The app would allow the owner to connect their phone to their robotic dog. It can be used for charging, the GPS system, and collecting data.

         Overall, I really enjoyed doing this assignment. It makes me curious about the future and other technological innovations. I learned a lot from this assignment and while it may have been stressful, I enjoyed the experience.